Revelation # 30 - Revelation 20:1-15

Our study of Revelation has brought us to the last three chapters. We saw the introduction to the book and Christ’s message to the seven churches. Chapter 4-5 in the throne room revealed Jesus Christ as one who is worthy.

We spent the next 14 chapters looking at what takes place during the Tribulation, the 70th week of Daniel. Now as we come to chapter 20 there is information that covers 1000 years.

Five events are recorded by John in Revelation chapter 20

Satan is bound vs. 1-3

An angel comes down from heaven bringing with him the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain.

He then lays hold of Satan and there are four names given here vs. 2

Dragon - used throughout Revelation

Serpent - Genesis 3

Devil - slanderer

Satan - one who opposes God

vs. 3 cast into the bottomless pit… cannot deceive the nations.

Some claim the binding or chaining of Satan took place on the cross. It is true the defeat or decisive victory over satan took place on the cross. He had his sentence given but it is not yet in effect. James Gray (as quoted by Wiersbe) “If Satan is bound today, it must be with a terribly long chain!”

Peter gives us the idea that Satan is free to roam. I Peter 5:8 “8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

Paul seemed to agree. Ephesians 6:10-18 “10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all pers…”

If there is no literal millenium, how is Satan bound? If we are living in the spiritual kingdom, why is Satan given this freedom?

Bottomless pit - Abyss - it is where teh locust like demons are released from in Rev. 9:3. Some angels have been held there Jude 6 “6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;” II Peter 2:$

What kind of chain would hold a spirit like Satan? Whatever John sees...

Vs. 3 Satan will be loosed for a little while - more on this in verses 7-10.

The Reign of Christ with His Saints vs. 4-6

The phrase “One Thousand Years” is used six times in these 7 verses. We refer to this period as the Millenium, (mille = 1000; annum = year). “At last, Christ and His church will reign over the nations of the earth, and Israel will enjoy the blessings promised by the prophets (see Isa. 2:1–5; 4:1–6; 11:1–9; 12:1–6; 30:18–26; 35:1–10). (Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 619.)

Is this literal or spiritual? Literal would take place on the earth with Christ on earth. The spiritualized would apply to the church and the idea that Christ is reigning from heaven through the church and his people. The idea of no literal kingdom , no millenium is referred to as amillennial.

Who is reigning with Christ?

Believers vs. 4 I saw thrones and they sat on them. Who is they? Who has been promised to reign with Christ? Believers! Rev. 1:6 “6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Rev. 2:26-27 “26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations— 27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’— as I also have received from My Father;” Rev. 5:10 “10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”” I Cor. 6:2-3 “2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?” Daniel 7:22 “22 until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.” Luke 22:30 “30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”” Mt. 25:21-23 “21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’”

Tribulation saints who are risen. vs. 4b Rev. 6:9-11 “9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.” Rev. 7:9-14 “9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” 13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” 14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Rev. 13:7 “7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.” Rev. 14:12-13 “12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. 13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”” Rev. 19:2 “2 For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.””

One difficulty with spiritualizing this is the resurrection of martyrs from the dead...

What should be expected in the Millennium?

Peace - Isa. 2:4 “4 He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.” Isa 9:7 “7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” Isa 11:6-10 “6 “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea. 10 “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious.”” cf. Isa. 32:17, 18 ; 54:13; 65:25; 66:12; Ez. 34:25-26; Micah 4:1-3; Zechariah 9:10 ;

Righteousness - Isa. 1:26-27 “26 I will restore your judges as at the first, And your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city.” 27 Zion shall be redeemed with justice, And her penitents with righteousness.” Isa 4:2-4 “2 In that day the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious; And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing For those of Israel who have escaped. 3 And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem. 4 When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning,” Isa 35:8-10 “8 A highway shall be there, and a road, And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, But it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, Shall not go astray. 9 No lion shall be there, Nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it; It shall not be found there. But the redeemed shall walk there, 10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” cf. Isa 65:20; Jer. 31:23; Zeph 3:13; Zech. 8:3; 13:1,2; 14:20-21;

Joy - Isa. 9:3-4 “3 You have multiplied the nation And increased its joy; They rejoice before You According to the joy of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. 4 For You have broken the yoke of his burden And the staff of his shoulder, The rod of his oppressor, As in the day of Midian.” Isa. 12:3-6 “3 Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation. 4 And in that day you will say: “Praise the Lord, call upon His name; Declare His deeds among the peoples, Make mention that His name is exalted. 5 Sing to the Lord, For He has done excellent things; This is known in all the earth. 6 Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion, For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!”” cf. 14:7-8; 65:18-19; Zeph. 3:14-17;

Manifesting of God’s glory - Isa. 4:2 “2 In that day the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious; And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing For those of Israel who have escaped.” ; Isa 35:2 “2 It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, Even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, The excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, The excellency of our God.” ; cf. Isa. 60:1-9;

Justice - Isa. 9:7 “7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” ; Isa. 42:4 “4 He will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands shall wait for His law.”” Jer. 23:5 “5 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.” ; cf. Rev. 19:15c; Isa. 11:4, 5;

Full knowledge - Isa. 11:1-3 “1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. 3 His delight is in the fear of the Lord, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;” Isa. 11:9 “9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea.” cf. Isa. 54:13; Habakkuk 2:14 “14 For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea.”

Instruction - Micah 4:2 “2 Many nations shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion the law shall go forth, And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” ; Isa. 2:2-3 “2 Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the Lord’s house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. 3 Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” cf. Isa. 32:3-4;

Blessing - Curse will be removed.

Animals will be tame - Isa. 11:6-9 “6 “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea.” cf. Isa. 35:9; 65:25;

Healing will be provided - Jeremiah30:17 “17 For I will restore health to you And heal you of your wounds,’ says the Lord, ‘Because they called you an outcast saying: “This is Zion; No one seeks her.” ’”

Longevity will be normal - Isa. 65:20 “20 “No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; For the child shall die one hundred years old, But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed.”

Productivity will increase - Joel 2:21-27 “21 Fear not, O land; Be glad and rejoice, For the Lord has done marvelous things! 22 Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field; For the open pastures are springing up, And the tree bears its fruit; The fig tree and the vine yield their strength. 23 Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the Lord your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you— The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month. 24 The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil. 25 “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. 26 You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, And praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame. 27 Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the Lord your God An…” ; Amos 9:13 “13 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “When the plowman shall overtake the reaper, And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; The mountains shall drip with sweet wine, And all the hills shall flow with it.” Zechariah 8:12 “12 ‘For the seed shall be prosperous, The vine shall give its fruit, The ground shall give her increase, And the heavens shall give their dew— I will cause the remnant of this people To possess all these.”

Universal worship Zeph. 3:9 “9 “For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, That they all may call on the name of the Lord, To serve Him with one accord.” Zech 8:23 “23 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” ’ ”” Zech 14:16 “16 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.” Mal. 1:11 “11 For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; In every place incense shall be offered to My name, And a pure offering; For My name shall be great among the nations,” Says the Lord of hosts.”

Christ will reign on David’s throne Isa. 9:7 “7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”

Presence of God Ezekiel 37:27-28 “27 My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 28 The nations also will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” ’ ”” Zech. 2:10-13 “10 “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord. 11 “Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. 12 And the Lord will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem. 13 Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!””

Outpouring of the Spirit - Joel 2:28-29 “28 “And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. 29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.” Ezekiel 37:14 “14 I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.’ ””

Freedom - Isa. 14:3-6 “3 It shall come to pass in the day the Lord gives you rest from your sorrow, and from your fear and the hard bondage in which you were made to serve, 4 that you will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: “How the oppressor has ceased, The golden city ceased! 5 The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked, The scepter of the rulers; 6 He who struck the people in wrath with a continual stroke, He who ruled the nations in anger, Is persecuted and no one hinders.” Isa. 42:6-7 “6 “I, the Lord, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, 7 To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.” cf. Isa. 49:8-9; Zech 9:11, 12 “12 Return to the stronghold, You prisoners of hope. Even today I declare That I will restore double to you.” (Revelation, Cummings pg. 195-196)

Satan’s revolt vs. 7-10

Remember who will be present in millennium.

The resurrected

OT Saints (Heb. 11:13-16 “13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. 14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. 15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.” )

Present Day Saints (Rev. 5:10 “10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”” )

Tribulation saints - Rev. 20:4 “4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”

Saints who have not died or been raptured

Israelites - Zech 13::9 “9 I will bring the one-third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’ ””

Gentiles - Matt. 25:32-34 “32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:”

Children born from above Eze.47:22 “22 It shall be that you will divide it by lot as an inheritance for yourselves, and for the strangers who dwell among you and who bear children among you. They shall be to you as native-born among the children of Israel; they shall have an inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel.”

Men will still have Adam’s nature in the Millennium and can therefore sin. Isa. 65:20 “20 “No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; For the child shall die one hundred years old, But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed.”

Jesus will rule with a rod of Iron - some will step under his rule but will not be born again. Zech. 14:17-19 “17 And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. 18 If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.” ; Rev. 2:27 “27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’— as I also have received from My Father;” Rev. 12:5 “5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.” Rev. 19:15 “15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”

Satan is loosed from his prison at the end of the millennium. vs. 7

Those who are not true believers will be deceived by him. vs. 9

People will gather from throughout the earth to battle once again.

Satan’s last stand.

A vast number of people like sand of the sea.

Satan was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. to be tormented day and night forever vs. 10

This is not purgatory

he is not totally annihilated.

End of the earth as we know it vs. 11

Earth and heaven fled away. … Peter says melted with fervent heat.

Great White Throne Judgment vs. 11-15

Great white throne - if for the judgment of those who reject Jesus Christ. Follows the millennium.

The Judgment seat of Christ is for believers and they are judged for their works and takes place in heaven following the rapture. Romans 14:10-12 “10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.” 12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.” I Cor. 3:11-15 “11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” I Cor. 4:5 “5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.”

Who is doing the judging?

Jesus Christ John 5:22 “22 For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son,” Acts. 17:31 “31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”” Romans 2:16 “16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.” cf. Dan. 7:9-11; II Tim 4:1; Acts 10:40, 41;

Who is being judged?

The dead without Christ Rev. 20:5 “5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.”

All will be judged Heb. 9:27 “27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,”

The final judgment in the Lake of fire for all not found in the book of life.

It was made for Satan and the fallen angels Mt. 25:41 “41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:” Man goes here for rejecting Christ.

It is a place of eternal torment and punishment Heb. 10:27 “27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.” Heb 10 30-31 “30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Heb. 12:29 “29 For our God is a consuming fire.” Luke 12:15 “15 And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”” Rev. 20:10 “10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

A place of pain Mk 9:44 “44 where ‘Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.’”

It is eternal without destruction or annihilation and separated from God.

II Thess. 1:9 “9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,”